5 biggest UFC victories of 2022
With just one UFC event left in 2022, it’s worth looking at which fighters on the roster have been most successful this year, in particular, who picked up the biggest wins.
We’ve seen a number of titles change in the UFC this year, and a number of big wins in non-title fights, too – but whose victories were the biggest?
The following five fighters all picked up huge wins, and it’s arguable that those wins meant more than any others in 2022.
Here are the five biggest UFC victories of 2022.
#5. Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson – UFC 279
In terms of the bigger picture, it’s arguable that Nate Diaz’s win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 didn’t mean all that much.
Not only did the fight get thrown together on late notice when Khamzat Chimaev missed weight, but Ferguson also came into the clash on the back of a horrendous losing streak dating back to 2020. Essentially, Diaz won the fight, but it probably wouldn’t count amongst the best wins of his career.
However, a deeper look would suggest that Diaz’s victory, which came via a fourth round armbar, should be considered amongst the biggest of 2022.
NATE DIAZ DOES ONE MORE TIME!!!!!!! #UFC279 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 https://t.co/ta75j4ueC3
The win was Diaz’s first since 2019, and offered the first glimpse in a while that he’s still got something to offer at the elite level in MMA. More importantly, though, the fight was the final one on the Stockton-based veteran’s contract with the UFC.
Had Diaz been crushed by Chimaev, as many fans expected would be the case, he’d have left the promotion on the back of a bad loss and three defeats in a row. His bargaining power would arguably have hit rock bottom.
Thanks to this win, though, Diaz is once again hot property. That means he should be able to negotiate a big payout for his next fight, whether that comes in a boxing match with Jake Paul, a move to Bellator MMA or even a return to the octagon.
Given that the end of his storied career surely isn’t far away now, that makes his win over Ferguson one of the biggest of the year.
#4. Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena – UFC 277
When 2021 ended, it was arguable that no fighter had suffered as devastating a loss as Amanda Nunes. ‘The Lioness’ suffered her first defeat since 2014, losing her UFC bantamweight title to Julianna Pena in a huge upset, and that loss brought a lot into question.
Would the Brazilian ever be the same after the loss? Would she want to come back altogether, or would she prefer to hang up her gloves? And more importantly, did the loss bring into question her status as the greatest female fighter in MMA history?
By the spring, though, at least one of those questions was answered. It was announced that Nunes and Pena would coach the 30th season of The Ultimate Fighter before rematching at the end of July.
After seeing Pena pretty much destroy Nunes in their first fight, and considering the questions around the future of ‘The Lioness’, many fans suspected that her comeback could turn out to be a mistake.
However, she proved those doubters wrong by dominating ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ in their second clash, basically beating her in every area. Pena survived the distance, but when all was said and done, there no was no doubt who the winner was.
#UFC277What. A. Fight. 👏 #UFC277 https://t.co/yTxqP6aXPN
This win should rank amongst the biggest of 2022 purely because of the amount of questions that Nunes answered. At the end of the day, every fighter – even champions – lose, but it’s how they bounce back from those defeats that determines their greatness.
This year, Nunes’ victory over Pena absolutely affirmed her status as an all-time legend.
#3. Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya – UFC 281
Given how Israel Adesanya had dominated the UFC’s middleweight division since his octagon debut in 2018, it probably goes without saying that Alex Pereira’s title victory over him in November deserves tons of credit.
Was Pereira’s knockout of ‘The Last Stylebender’ one of the biggest victories of 2022, though? Absolutely.
Sure, he held two victories over Adesanya in the kickboxing ring, but many fans felt that those fights would be enough to spur ‘The Last Stylebender’ onto one of his best performances. More to the point, the fight with Adesanya was only Pereira’s 8th in MMA. Essentially, he came into the bout as a rookie.
Despite this, ‘Poatan’ performed fantastically in the fight. Admittedly, he had his fair share of struggles, being outstruck by Adesanya in the first round and then really suffering on the ground later in the fight, but the Brazilian never backed down.
When Adesanya had a stumble after hurting his leg in the final round, then, Pereira didn’t let up. He unleashed a brutal combination that ‘The Last Stylebender’ just couldn’t survive, becoming the first man to stop him in MMA in the process.
PEREIRA DOES THE UNTHINKABLE!! 😱
HE KOs ADESANYA AGAIN!! #UFC281 https://t.co/YiNrtkrVFY
Whether or not Pereira can become a dominant champion in his own right, or whether he is merely kryptonite for Adesanya is anyone’s guess, but there’s no disputing that this was one of 2022’s biggest wins.
#2. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman – UFC 278
While 2022 saw its fair share of upsets, probably the most shocking result came in August, when Leon Edwards stunned Kamaru Usman to capture the UFC welterweight title.
To say that this was a huge win would be an understatement. Nobody was really giving ‘Rocky’ a chance of defeating the man who was, at the time, the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. In many ways, he felt like Usman’s easiest test in a long time.
Early on, it looked like ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ would cruise to a win. After recovering from a slow start, he was largely dominating Edwards for the majority of the bout, and by the time the fifth round came around, ‘Rocky’ looked out of ideas.
However, he had just one more big shot in him, and after masterfully setting it up with a faked left hand, he landed a stunning head kick that turned Usman’s lights off immediately.
LEON EDWARDS JUST KNOCKED OUT KAMARU USMAN WITH A HEAD KICK!!!!!
WE HAVE A NEW WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!!!!
OHHHH MYYYYY GOOOOOODDDNNEEEEESSSS!!! #UFC278 https://t.co/qiAcDaiNIr
Edwards had been riding a ten-fight unbeaten streak coming into the bout, but nobody really seemed to be buying him as a genuinely great fighter.
After beating Usman, though, nobody can deny his status as one of the top fighters on the planet right now. Therefore, it’s impossible to deny the idea that Edwards’ knockout of ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has to count amongst the biggest wins of 2022.
#1. Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane – UFC 270
It might’ve come way back in January on the UFC’s first pay-per-view of the year, but there’s no way that Francis Ngannou’s win over Ciryl Gane shouldn’t class as one of the biggest of 2022.
‘The Predator’ was able to overcome ‘Bon Gamin’ after five rounds, showing some new wrinkles in his game in the form of some powerful wrestling and solid top control to keep Gane grounded.
It wasn’t the big knockout that fans have become used to from Ngannou, but the win definitely affirmed his status as the world’s top heavyweight, and the fact that he unified the UFC’s two heavyweight titles helped too.
𝐔 𝐍 𝐃 𝐈 𝐒 𝐏 𝐔 𝐓 𝐄 𝐃 🏆 𝐔 𝐍 𝐃 𝐈 𝐒 𝐏 𝐔 𝐓 𝐄 𝐃 🏆 #ANDSTILL
[ @Francis_Ngannou | #UFC270 | B2YB @CLMBR_Official ] https://t.co/JXnWqtUkMb
However, what makes this win bigger than say, Alex Pereira’s title win, or Alexander Volkanovski’s third win over Max Holloway? Put simply, it has given Ngannou a massive boost in his clash with the UFC itself going into 2023.
Had Ngannou been defeated by Gane, he would’ve had no leverage going into the final months of his contract, and may have been strongarmed into signing a new deal with the promotion.
After the win, though, he’ll go into the final month of his deal with all of the cards, and may be able to force Dana White and company to give him exactly what he wants. After all, the promotion will not want to lose their heavyweight champion.
With that considered, Ngannou’s win over Gane should definitely be considered the biggest of 2022.